Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi detained amid protest near Modi's residence

Leader of the Opposition in Indian Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday while leading a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, where Congress leaders were demanding accountability over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and seeking the resignation of union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

While being detained by the Delhi Police, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said "They are cowards. They are scared. We are not scared of them. They are scared of us."

Police attempted to forcibly remove Rahul Gandhi from the site and were seen carrying him to the bus.

Several Congress leaders and workers were also detained as police dispersed the demonstrators, who had marched from Rajaji Marg to Lok Kalyan Marg after alleging police brutality against students protesting over the paper leak a day earlier.

Speaking to ANI from inside a police van after being detained, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said the protest marked the beginning of a larger movement against the government.

"This is not the end; it marks the beginning of a new revolution under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. They may imprison us, lathi-charge us, or mistreat us, but Modi ji will have to answer to the millions of sons and daughters of India who have lost their future and seen the hopes of their families extinguished due to paper leaks. This revolution will now blaze into a mighty inferno; under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, it will not be stopped," Surjewala said.

Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar said, "It is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi (were detained). We are all fighting for the cause of the students of this country. We want justice. We want this to be discussed in the Parliament... More than 100 MPs are here. No one is afraid of being arrested... This movement will continue till justice is given..."

The detentions came shortly after union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh alleged that Rahul Gandhi had gone back on his word during talks held near the protest site.

In a post on X, Singh said he, along with union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, was deputed by the government to engage with the Congress leadership after they began their sit-in protest near Akbar Road.

According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi initially agreed to end the protest if the government accepted the demand for a discussion in Parliament on the NEET issue and the ongoing student movement. He claimed that after the government agreed to the demand, Gandhi added another condition by insisting on the resignation of union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Singh further alleged that Gandhi refused to vacate the site despite being informed that it was not designated for protests and accused the Congress leader of acting contrary to democratic norms. He also claimed that while the government was ready for a discussion in Parliament on all issues related to NEET, the Congress had not submitted any formal notice seeking such a debate under parliamentary rules.

The Congress protest followed a day of heightened political confrontation over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and police action against unarmed student protesters. Parliament witnessed repeated disruptions as Opposition parties sought a discussion on the issue, while Congress maintained that the Centre must take responsibility for the examination controversy and the alleged police excesses against students